“Now that isn’t so bad!” she told herself. “I am getting to be a better jumper. Running away did that, I think, just as Speckle said it might. I’m glad I left home, though I do miss those children. Never mind, I shall go back to them some day.”
Perched on top of the fence, Blackie looked down in other yards. She hoped to see another cat with whom she might talk, but none was there. Blackie did see something which she did not like very well, and that was a big dog asleep in front of his kennel.
“Hum!” thought Blackie. “He seems to be a savage chap. I hope he doesn’t get after me. It’s lucky he’s chained. He doesn’t look as though he liked cats.”
Just then, from behind her, on the fence at the other side of the yard, Blackie heard a voice saying, in cat language:
“Hello, Blackie, where did you come from, and how did you get here, if I may ask?”
Blackie turned and saw a yellow cat sitting on the other fence.
“How do you do?” asked Blackie politely. “I just happened to come here, but how did you know my name, and what is yours?”
“I guessed your name was Blackie because you are so black,” said the other cat. “My name is Topaz, for I am colored like a yellow topaz stone, you see. I live here. Do you live there?”
“Well, I am staying with Mrs. Thompson for a while,” Blackie answered. “I ran away from my own home. Did you ever run away?”
“Never!” exclaimed Topaz. “I’d never dream of doing such a thing.”